Is In-Person Beauty Shopping Finally Making A Comeback?

Do you remember the last time you went into a shop to buy a beauty product? Unless it was an emergency purchase, I can’t. For many of us, that Saturday afternoon ritual of wandering through beauty aisles has been replaced by a scroll through TikTok Shop, a one-click checkout and next-day delivery. It makes sense. It’s easier, often cheaper and increasingly social—in a very online, social-media way.

TikTok Shop alone generated around $1 billion in U.S. beauty sales in 2024. And yet, the frenzy around Space NK’s Oxford Circus flagship reopening suggests the in-person thrill of beauty shopping isn’t dead. People queued for hours on launch day, and even weeks later, when I walked past, the place was still heaving.

Anna*, a London-based beauty creator, tells me that while she loves the convenience and endless choice of online shopping, nothing compares to swatching lipsticks, spraying perfumes, or stumbling across something she didn’t know she wanted. The sensory side of beauty—scent, texture, colour matching—and the human side of chatting with staff are lost with online shopping, she feels.

“As humans, we’re programmed to crave that connection with another human,” adds Kasey Swithenbank, Head of Retail Stores UK & Ireland at Lush. “Online is convenient, of course. But when you step into a store, you want that human moment—someone who listens, guides you, maybe introduces you to something you didn’t know existed. There’s also the sensory side: smelling, touching, trying. Beauty is a tactile experience.”

According to the British Beauty Council’s Value of Beauty 2025 report, the U.K. beauty sector added £30.4 billion to GDP in 2024, growing four times faster than the wider economy. Consumer spending hit £32.4 billion, per the British Beauty Council. Barclays also reported a 7.3% year-on-year rise in health and beauty spending while most other retail categories struggled.

Clearly, we aren’t giving up on beauty, we’re just more selective about how and where we spend our money. And retailers are paying attention.

A manager at a major fashion chain, who requested to be anonymous, told Marie Claire UK that their beauty hall is their fastest-growing category. As such, they are expanding to offer a wider beauty selection.

It’s not just established stores either, pop-ups are having a moment, with the likes of Fenty, Rhode and Phlur creating limited-time spaces that tap into the excitement of an exclusive experience while deepening the bond between brand and consumer. Beauty shopping is no longer just about buying; it’s about experience, narrative, and connection.

“Customers don’t just want to ‘shop’ anymore—they want to experience something,” continues Swithenbank. “I see stores becoming destinations, places where you learn, play and connect. Online will stay strong, but physical retail is where the magic happens.”

And it’s not only experience, customers want brands to be an extension of the self, to reflect their values. “We’re seeing customers approach beauty in a much more intentional way. It’s no longer about filling a makeup bag with the latest launches, but about choosing products that genuinely align with their values. Performance is still crucial, but people want to know that what they’re buying reflects their beliefs - whether that’s around sustainability, inclusivity, or transparency,” Natalie Guselli, Head of Beauty at Liberty, explains.

That sense of community is at the heart of journalist and author Funmi Fetto’s new brand, Goodifferent, launching in Liberty this autumn. “Think The Ordinary meets Glossier meets K-beauty for Black hair, built through the lens of people who look like me, who have hair like me,” Fetto says.

But it’s not just about the products. She’s designing spaces where Black women feel seen and welcome, with salons intended as hubs of community as much as styling. Fetto wants to herald a shift away from intimidating environments towards inclusive, inspiring ones, where customers can build connections and community. It’s part of founders changing the landscape, and broadening who beauty is for, what it looks like, and what it represents. And as a Black woman, I’m excited.

Lou Cummings, bareMinerals’ National Sales and Education Manager, points out that the beauty conversation focuses on Millennials and Gen Z—generations raised on YouTube tutorials with a vast understanding of shades and formulas. But older consumers, who know what they like but didn’t grow up with digital beauty culture, often get overlooked. For them, the in-person experience is essential: tailored guidance, expert advice, human reassurance.

It’s why Marks & Spencer has been heavily investing in beauty, and are involving brands like Estée Lauder and bareMinerals. Cummings calls it an M&S “renaissance era,” with beauty driving the revival. Customers already trust M&S for quality and curation, which translates perfectly into beauty halls.

Space NK Oxford Circus is perhaps a glimpse into the future of IRL beauty shopping. It’s been designed less as a shop, more as an “experience concept,” with bold merchandising, community spaces and digital touchpoints. For retailers, events and activations aren’t optional extras anymore; they’re vital.

“Unique in-store events will become even more important, transforming stores into community spaces where people come together to learn, share and be inspired,” explains Cummings. “That sense of community builds loyalty and advocacy in a way online channels can’t fully replicate.”

Liberty, Sephora and others are following suit, leveraging reputation and tightly curated edits to keep beauty halls relevant. Guselli adds: “I think the definition of a beauty destination has evolved dramatically. It’s no longer just a hall filled with products—it’s about atmosphere, curation, and creating a sense of belonging. A great beauty space today needs to inspire, surprise, and most importantly, make every customer feel represented. For us at Liberty, it means curating a space that feels like an edit of the very best, not the most.”

For the high street, experiential and curated beauty retail hints at a revival. With exclusive beauty destinations, such as the beauty and fragrance-only Boots store in Battersea Power Station, customers are offered a tailored shopping experience.

So maybe in-person beauty shopping isn’t dying at the hands of online. It just has to evolve, and we’re seeing it happen. What’s changing is the old idea of stores as purely transactional. What’s emerging is a model where beauty halls become sensory playgrounds, cultural stages and community hubs. The challenge for retailers now is simple: make beauty shopping feel like an experience worth stepping away from the screen for.

*Names have been changed or anonymised